Analysis of the inclusive tourism development abroad

Abstract

The subject of research was the concept of inclusive tourism and the legal framework that regulates the activity of this type of tourism. The analysis of the development of inclusive tourism in Ukraine and abroad has been carried out. The goal is to study the basic problems of inclusive tourism in Ukraine, the reasons for their occurrence and the prospects of the development of inclusive tourism have been studied. They include: low awareness of the Ukrainian business community about the economic attractiveness of disability services realization; insufficient development, and sometimes complete absence of specialized tourism infrastructure, lack of information resources that would provide detailed information on the opportunities for accessible tourism in Ukraine. The objective is to research the mechanisms of inclusive space creation and the best foreign practices on the creation of tourist routes for people with disabilities have been analyzed. Methods: Specialized sites that assist in the planning of hiking trails by people with disabilities have been explored. The experience of creating an inclusive environment in cities that won the annual European Access City Award (Lyon, Brady, and Warsaw) has been analyzed. Results: The necessary measures for the development of the inclusive tourism industry in modern conditions have been proposed. They are as follows: creation of accessible urban environment, special training for tourist operators and employees of tourist establishments that work and provide services to people with disabilities, adaptation of tourist agents’ sites for the people with sensory impairment, creation of a directory of accessible hotels, cafes and historical sights for people with disabilities, adaptation of excursion routes, tourist and historical monuments to the needs of people with disabilities. Conclusions: World experience shows that tourists with disabilities occupy an important segment of the tourism market. Tourism for people with disabilities is a necessary type of tourism in every country. This is one of the fastest growing types of tourism. The practice of introducing inclusive tourism abroad proves that, first of all, it is necessary to create a barrier-free environment, adapt excursion routes, tourist and historical monuments to the needs of persons with disabilities.